Peter Johnston, the tournament director for the Kooyong Classic, monitored WTA rankings in late 2023. He sought to include player Alexandra Eala in the exhibition event's 2026 lineup.
WTA regulations stipulate that players ranked within the top 50 may incur fines for participating in exhibition matches instead of designated WTA tournaments.
In early December, Eala's ranking was No. 50. By the Australian Open entry ranking cut-off two weeks later, her rank moved to No. 53. This change placed her outside the WTA's top-50 player rules concerning exhibition participation.